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Tasha K. Bertie Out! Xavyrna Samuels-Fahie In! ME&C shakeups!
The first shakeup is that controversial Minister for Education and Culture, Honourable Myron V. Walwyn is now on his third Private Secretary in less than 20 months with the new appointment of Mrs Xavyrna Samuels-Fahie.
This news site was the first to report that Minister Walwyn had requested his former Private Secretary, Karen Vanterpool, be terminated last year.
She was replaced by Virgin Gordian Ms Daniella Flax, who has now been replaced by Mrs Samuels-Fahie.
It is unknown why the new change in such a short time.
The same NDP source claimed that the officer, Ms Flax, has been reassigned to the Curriculum Development office and may be waiting to take up a post at a Virgin Gorda school.
Private Secretaries are directly chosen by Ministers of Government in the Westminster System of Government and only the Minister can request that they be removed.
To date, all other Ministers of the NDP Government have the Private Secretaries they requested, after the general election of November 2011. The same source speaking to this news site claimed that “if one Minister is changing his Private Secretary so often that Minister may have to look within his own style of leadership…maybe he is the issue”.
Tasha K. Bertie moving on up!
The Assistant Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Culture, Ms Tasha K. Bertie who acted as Deputy Secretary before being reverted to her post last year will leave the Ministry within the coming days where she is expected to be promoted to the post of one of two Deputy Secretaries within the Ministry of Health and Social Development.
Ms Bertie, who was seen as the backbone of the Education Ministry, was successful in her application to fill the vacant post, according to a source close to the situation. She is also the President of the Virgin Islands Civil Service Association (VICSA).
Her new appointment has the blessings of Honourable Ronnie W. Skelton, the Minister for Health and Social Development.
Responding to questions from this news site yesterday, September 26, 2013 Permanent Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Education and Culture Dr. Marcia Potter confirmed this news site’s information of Minister Walwyn’s new Private Secretary and the move from the Education and Culture Ministry of Ms. Bertie.
“Yes, the Minister has a new Private Secretary and yes Ms Flax has been reassigned,” Dr. Potter said in an interview. She then confirmed that Ms Xavyrna Samuels-Fahie is the new Private Secretary to Minister Walwyn.
The Education and Culture PS also confirmed that one of the Assistant Secretaries, Ms Tasha K. Bertie, will be leaving her current post. “She has applied to take up another post and was successful and she will be leaving to take up that post shortly,” Dr. Potter stated.
Controversial Minister Walwyn
Minister Walwyn has emerged as the most controversial Government Minister in the Dr. the Honourable D. Orlando Smith Administration. A couple weeks after taking office, he directed the now Acting Chief Education Officer Jillian Douglas-Phillip via an E-mail to ask the Principal of the Althea Scaliffe Primary School to remove a long standing slogan from the School, which had read; "Mighty Mighty Scatliffe". The slogan was the school’s tradition used to motivate the school children, most times during sports meets.
In a statement in Parliament last year that surprised many in the progressive and indigenous class, he threatened to bring sanctions against the media and accused them, particularly the online news sites, that if current conditions continued in the media, Government may take prohibitive action. In what some described as an angry statement on July 24, 2012, the Minister said that it seems as though some news outlets are comfortable with reporting half-truths, taking things out of context and putting it into their own context and thus, distorting the truth.
The freshman Minister stopped short of pointing to any specific media reports or pointing to any media house which may have distorted news reports to support his claims or any example of such stories.
Veteran Second District Representative Hon. J. Alvin Christopher, speaking at a House of Assembly (HOA) sitting on July 26, 2012, told the public that he was troubled by the statement made in the HOA by Hon. Walwyn about "sanctioning the media".
"I hear his statement and maybe at hand I understand his passion and what he is saying, but it is a matter that in a democratic society, freedom of speech - you have to be very careful," Hon. Christopher warned.
Also at the same sitting, the former Education and Culture Minister and First District Representative Hon. Andrew A. Fahie lashed out at Walwyn and asked his party leader and Premier Dr. Smith to "bell that cat" for creating a culture of disrespect.
However, this year Minister Walwyn continued his obsession with the media in attacking Virgin Islands News Online (VINO), claiming that their Marketing and Technical officer, who operates from overseas, does not exist.
Last year, the Chairman of the Virgin Islands Festival and Fairs Committee Marvin ‘MB’ Blyden reported that the official opening ceremony for the 2012 Emancipation Celebration at the Claudette “Boopie” Smith Festiville had to be moved to Saturday July 28, 2012 to facilitate the Minister's schedule.
Hon. Walwyn was at the time in London attending the Olympic Games.
At this year’s Emancipation celebration, Hon. Walwyn said all children who are born in the Virgin Islands of expatriate parents should become citizens automatically.
While most people will agree with this notion in principle, the Minister very well knows that it’s the British Nationality Act that governs that matter. Many persons accused him of just playing politics and trying to divide the country.
One talk show host and College Lecturer blasted him and demanded that if he is sincere about that policy which most people support, he should go to lobby the British Government and not just try to gain political points here at home. The talk show host believed Hon. Walwyn’s advocacy while we celebrated Emancipation was in poor taste and did a disservice to the ancestors.
In June this year at the H. L. Stoutt College graduation, Minister Walwyn hinted at independence when he told the students to start thinking of constitutional advancement.
Premier Smith had already distanced himself from such unpopular statements when he told the Parliament at the first sitting of the second session of the second House of Assembly held on September 3, 2012 in an emphatic statement that he will not consider independence. Dr Smith had said “No!” when asked whether government is seeking or would be seeking independence. The question was posed by First District Representative Honourable Andrew A. Fahie.
Many residents of the Virgin Islands cite cases of alleged victimisation, advocating the censoring of the media, too many crimes, corruption, cronyism, mismanagement of the public purse, disregard for law and order and the constitution as some of the many legitimate fears for the territory to not seek independence.
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58 Responses to “Tasha K. Bertie Out! Xavyrna Samuels-Fahie In! ME&C shakeups!”
Samuels-Fahie, I wish you the best of luck cause you going need it.
Myron Have to go Immediately!
well well this is it! i can't wait for the next election. We going do this thing and get you out Myron! you rediculous now! What is wrong with this Government buddy?
I would complain but the BVI produces some of the most ignorant people in thw world so perhaps a shake up was needed.
Why not use a man as his personal secretary then
Too much tem....on
me agree the girl is a work horse.
Well, I have worked with Ms. Bertie on several occasions. Well mannered and organized individual. I congradulate her on her new appointment. good idea for her to move.
I support the move!
This Ministry need a blessing from above with all these ins and outs.